You know the feeling: you look for somewhere to plug in a phone, a portable hard drive or some other peripheral, and discover you’re completely out of USB ports. When that happens, it’s time to buy a hub — but some hubs are definitely better than others. This week we’re looking at five of the best, based on your nominations.

8 August 2012

There’s seemingly an infinite supply of novelty USB flash drives and hubs for consumers to waste their money on, but none come close to the gag-inducing adorableness of this tiny toaster hub and accompanying anthropomorphised slices of toast.

20 June 2012

If you look across your desk at the pile of charging cables, docks, flash drives and other USB-powered accessories, you’ll quickly come to the conclusion that you can never have too many USB ports. Even the MondoHub’s impressive array of 28 ports will slowly but surely all get filled.

13 July 2011

All MacBooks ever made share two traits: thin, attractive design and a shortage of USB ports. Until now, the only solution was using a fat, ugly USB hub. With this cable-hub-hybrid, you can have your ports and thinness too.

31 May 2011

If you were appalled the internet had produced a cat USB hub but wasn’t catering to dog-owners (after all those memes!), put down your pitchforks and instead fork out $US18 to Fredflare for the HubDog. [Fredflare via Technabob]

22 December 2010

Outfit your monitor like Poindexter with this $US60 monitor hub-station. Not only does it display your nerdlinger credentials proudly, but it also arranges your desk-crap into three holders and a document wallet. There’s even a four-port USB hub! [GeekStuff4U via RedFerret]

16 November 2010

You know how it goes: You see some neat design for a lamp or surge protector or whatever and inevitably it’s just a neat concept in a clever design student’s portfolio. Not this USB Battleship! It’s yours for only $US23!

18 October 2010

You can never have too many USB ports. Especially when four of them come in the form of a half man, half machine Sith Lord who could crush your windpipe with a thought and your planet with his Death Star.